Double-hung sash balances



May 7, 1968 P. NACHTSHEIM DOUBLE-HUNG SASH BALANCES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 11, 1966 2 7 5 6 T2 5 M a 4 I a w a .II .A, H Flu 3 7 4 V I H 4 r r w w .M 5 /m w 4F MM E 7 2 8 2 v n 6 N )4 H 2 I n aw 1 F.

INVENTOR y 7, 1968 P. NACHTSHEIM 7 3,381,415

DOUBLE-HUNG SASH BALANCES Filed April 11, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5

INVENTOR United States Patent 3,381,415 DOUBLE-HUNG SASH BALANCES Peter Nachtsheim, South Plainfield', NJ. (Box 368, Montreal 3, Quebec, Canada) Filed Apr. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 547,703 6 (Jlaims. (Cl. 49-445) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLUSURE This invention relates generally to sash balances and particularly to balances utilizing a sash friction brake without tension-spring or block and tackle means for balancing the sash in the window frame, by eliminating thereby also a number of unknown factors relating to them, such .as spring-fatigue, freezing, rusting and corroding of block and tackle friction control means and the frequent adjustments required of spring and block and tackle means due to seasonal expansion and contraction of the multi-looped strap connection between spring, block and tackle, and sash frame.

This invention relates to double-hung windows of my Patent 3,214,801, Nov. 2, 1965 and has for its principal object improvements of the individual balances or braking devices called for and shown in said patent by using a sash friction brake instead of counterweights or springs to help regulate manual opening and closing of the sashes better and more economically.

While in my cited patent there is shown a hinged double-hung window where the sashes are held in a hinged indoor swinging frame that is supported by a fixed Wall frame, I have in this application, outside of FIGURE 4, shown the window consisting of a fixed wall frame holding the sashes, in order to show the application as being suitable to either type as well as to a single vertical sliding sash unit window with the upper sash being fixed in the usual manner as selectively the lower sash.

A further object of the invention is to overcome the frequent adjustment needed when using expensive spring balances, which is further complicated by the gradual loss of spring action, which then requires replacements. In my invention the brake tape stresses are kept well within the elastic limits of the materials used, such as metal, plastic, sisal, jute, rubber, asbestos, burlap, hemp or any other flexible materials or combination of them for alloys. This wide range of selection for the sensitive part of the friction brake tape makes for an economical unit that, once regulated when installed, needs very little attention. Fatigue of expensive spring steels and alloys, caused by their high unit stresses, is eliminated.

The primary object and summary of this invention is a simplified friction brake sash balance, that eliminate counterweights, springs, block and tackle friction controls by utilizing the builtin friction in each sash setting and then by creating and adding enough friction for the desired sash positions and movements, for an economical and efiicient window. A flexible tape, held in the frames head by a vertically movable support, and fixedly by a frames jamb support, is run through a friction brake unit in the sash side stiles, in order to produce the desired friction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exterior outdoor view of the window;

FIGURE 2 is a section of line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is similar to the upper part of FIGURE 2,

3,381,415 Patented May 7, 1968 but it shows an installation for FIGURE 2 of my cited patent;

FIGURE 5 is a section on line 5--:S of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 6 is a section on line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIGURE 7 is a section on line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIGURE 8 is an isometric view of one set of friction brake balance when looking on line 8-8 of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1 the window is shown to consist of a fixed frame 14), secured to the building wall in the usual manner. Frame 10 carries two parallel-moving sashes 11 and 12, the latter being the lower and inner sash. Sash 11 can slide up and down or if desired it can be made stationary by omitting the brake balance set and securing it direct to frame 10 in the usual manner. Sash 12 can slide up and down or selectively be fixed.

In FIG. 2 the upper portion shows the head 13 of the fixed frame 10, secured to the building wall 14. The head 13 has track guides 15 and 16 respectively for sash 11 and 12, separated by removable parting strip 17. These guides continue down to fixed sill 18 as shown by FIG. 3. Head 13 has head jamb 19, casing 211, moulding 21, removable stop 22 and removable trim 23. Lintel 24 supports the exterior of wall 14.

In FIG. 3 the upper portion shows the meeting rail 25 of sash 11 in closed position with meeting rail 26 of sash 12. Fixed sill 18 has attached to its fixed stool 27 and interior trim 28.

FIG. 4 refers to the my cited patent, where as FIG. 2 it shows a head section. It illustrates the easy access to the brake control, when the sash holding frame 29 is swung open from the fixed wall frame 30*.

In FIG. 5 is shown the jamb 31 of fixed frame 10, secured to the building wall 14 in the usual manner. Since both jams are symmetrical about the vertical centerline of the window, the detail shown is typical for both window jambs. The jamb 31 has track guides 15 and 16 respectively for sash 11 and 12 separated by removable parting strip 17, side jamb 32, casing 33, moulding 21, removable stop 22 and trim 34. Track guides 15 and 16 have a central housing groove 35 and 36 respectively for the full length of the brake tapes 45 at both jambs, as will be described more in detail with FIG. 8.

FIG. 6 shows the brake 37 housed in sash 12, which is typical for both sashes 11 and 12 at both jambs. FIG. 1 shows the location of the four brakes required for a complete set. Three removable brake elements 38 38 and 38 are keyed to wedge-shaped projections 39 39 and 39 of box 40, preventing them from rotating. Box 40 is open in front only, where it faces the j-amb of the fixed frame 10; two wings 41 provide connections 42 for housing box 40 in the stile 4'3; refer to FIG. 8. The lower part of FIG. 6 shows a tape hook 44 fastened to the fixed frame jam 31 for a convenient bottom connection of tape 45.

FIG. 7 shows in section how brake element 38 is keyed to box 40 rigidly, permitting at the same time easy removal by tapping with a hammer only. This typical connection applies to all four brakes in the full set.

In FIG. 8 is shown a complete brake unit when installed. Tape hook 44 in the fixed frame 10 holds tension tape 45 with a loop connection; an angular catch 46 reaches over the installed tape. Tape 45 then enters brake box 40 in the sash where it loops around the fixed brake elements as shown in FIG. 6. After leaving box 40, tape 45 is loop connected to bolt 47. Bolt 47 has a hook 48 to hold tape 45. The upper part of bolt 47 is threaded for a coupling connection. On two sides of threaded bolt 47 are fiat surfaces 49 that pass through washer 51, so as to prevent turning of bolt 47 when engaging control coupling 50 over its upper part. Washer 5'1 has rectangular sleeves 52 to frame an opening through jamb 19 of head Ca 13, as more clearly shown in FIG. 2. Washer 51 is fastened to head jamb 19 through openings 53 for a rigid connection to fixed frame 10, with the long side of sleeves 52 normal to the side jamb 32.

When coupling 50 now is tightened on sleeve 52 with the tape 45 held in hook 47 at its top and also held in hook 44 at its bottom andwith both connections to the fixed frame 10, the tightening of tape 45 over the brake elements in brake 37 in the sash can stop any vertical sash movement. Turning coupling 50 will raise and lower bolt 47, but it will not turn it. Once the coupling 50 is adjusted to the proper manual force required for vertical sash movements, the sash is ready for use.

The brake elements in the brake 37 can be made more efiicient by put-ting depressions 54 which. act as suction cups in their surfaces where they contact tape 45, consisting of spherical segment cut-outs, and the contact surfaces of the brake elements can additionally have an antislip finish there.

To assemble the window sash controls insert tape 45 in brake box 40 that is held fixedly in the sash. Place first the upper sash 11 in its holding frame in an open position. Clamp or hook the lower end of the tape to the fixed hook 44 in fixed frame 10, clamp or hook the upper end of the tape to the control bolt 47 in the fixed frame 10. Do this for both tapes and adjust control coupling 50 for desired vertical movement of the sash with the tape 45 under proper tension. Now place in position the parting strip 17, which is removable. Then place the lower sash in its holding frame in open position and from then on repeat the same installation procedure as for the upper sash. Now place in position the stop 22 and trim 23, which both are removable. To remove the controls reverse the above procedure.

At present double-hung sashes, using sash weight or spring balance are designed to balance the total deadload of the sash. Then after attachment of balances the removable parting strips and stops are re-installed causing the setting up for each sash of an unknown amount of retarding friction, which then is added to the deadload for total load, that must be handled by the balances when supporting and operating the sash, which also in turn requires heavier and/ or stronger balances.

In my application the unknown factor is made use of and in combination charged to a known and desired total friction. After the sash is installed with removable strips and stops in place, the holding friction is utilized in the operation of the sash. The support tapes 45, a rope could be used, fastened to the sash frame 10 are run through friction brakes 37 held in the sash. Then in order to create enough friction for sash operation, coupling 50 is tightened over bolt 47, so that the unknown friction plus the tension created friction balances the sash satisfactorily for manual operation. Sash weight and spring balances are eliminated thereby for better and more ecouomical sash operation. Since no two sash settings have the same unknown friction, its elimination or rather incorporation makes for a more efiicient and satisfactory operation for each sash unit. When using a window with the upper sash fixed and only the lower sash movable, the same principle governs as mentioned above, as well as when only the upper sash is movable and the lower sash is fixed.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A window structure comprising a sash frame having a head, jambs and an outwardly sloping sill, an upper sash and a lower sash, sliding parallel to each other in said sash frame and in corresponding track guides having a parting strip between them at head and jambs of the sash frame, the upper sash bottom and the lower sash top each having a meeting rail facing the other when both sashes are closed, a looped flexible tape fastened to each end of each track guide of the sash frame head, to actuating tension control means above the upper and lower sashes and their track guides, then passing down along the sash-frame jambs and between said track guides and their registering upper and lower sashes to enter, actuate and pass through friction control means fixed in the vertical sides of the upper and lower sashes facing the sash frame jambs, said upper sash friction control means located above its meeting rail and the lower sash friction control means located below its meeting rail, with the ends of said four tflexible tapes fastened with a loop to a fixed hook in the sash frame jambs and below the said lower sash friction control means level, to permit balancing each sash individually.

2. The window structure of claim 1 in which the tension control means include a bolt at and through the sash frame head, the sash frame head having a rectangular opening registering with an opening in a washer fastened to it, said washer having a registering rectangular sleeve connected to its top, said bolt has its lower end extended to form a hook below said washer, that supports and actuates the flexible tape, the extended hooked bolt being threaded at its upper end with two sides having parallel fiat surfaces normal to the sash frame jambs, registering with two sides of above rectangular sleeve, to prevent turning of the hooked bolt, a threaded coupling registering and engaging with the upper threaded portion of the hooked bolt and bearing against the horizontal upper end of said rectangular sleeve, permitting control and adjustments in the tension in said flexible tape by raising and lowering said hooked bolt when turning the engaged threaded coupling.

3. The Window structure of claim 2 in which the four friction control means fixed in the vertical sides of the upper and lower sashes each include three removable brake elements stacked vertically, each element having a cylindrical body whose ends have wedge shaped keyways engaging registering wedge shaped projections in a holding box, fixed in the vertical sides of the upper and lower sashes and having an outwardly facing opening towards the sash frame jambs, with said flexible tape guided slidably by each brake element by entering looping sideways over the top elements outward face through the holding box opening, passing sideways looping over the center elements inward face and then back-passing sideways looping over the bottom elements outward face in leaving the holding box through its opening during upper and lower sash operation, permitting a desired amount of friction and its control through tension adjustment in the flexible tape.

4. The window structure of claim 3 in which each brake-element, where in contact with the flexible tape, has depressions and an anti-slip finish.

5. A window structure comprising a sash frame having a head, jambs and a sill, an upper sash and a lower sash, with the upper sash that can slide up and down in a track guide parallel to the lower stationary sash, with a parting strip between them in the sash frame at head and jambs, the upper sash bottom and the lower sash top have each a meeting rail facing each other when the upper sash is closed, a looped flexible tape fastened to each end of the sash frame head to actuating tension control means above the upper sash and its track guide, then passing down along the sash frame jambs and between the said track guide and the upper sash to enter, actuate and pass through friction control means fixed in the vertical sides of the upper sash facing the sash frame jambs, said upper sash friction control means located above its meeting rail, with the ends of said two flexible tapes fastened with a loop to a fixed hook in the sash frame jambs and below said upper sash friction control means level, to permit balancing the upper sash.

6. A window structure comprising a sash frame having a head, jambs and a sill, an upper sash and a lower sash, with the upper sash being stationary and the lower sash that can slide up and down in a track guide, parallel to the upper sash, with a parting strip between them in the sash frame at head and jambs, the upper sash bottom and the lower sash top having a meeting rail facing each other when the lower sash is closed, a loo'ped flexible tape fastened to each end of the sash frame head to actuating tension control means above the lower sash and its track guide, then passing down along the sash frame jarnbs and between the said track guide and the lower sash to enter, actuate and pass through friction control means fixed in the vertical sides of the lower sash facing the sash frame jambs, said lower sash friction control means located below its meeting rail, with the ends of said two flexible tapes fastened with a loop to a fixed hook in the sash frame jambs and below the said lower sash friction control means level, to permit balancing the lower sash.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,279,600 4/ 1942 Tappan 1697 2,336,406 12/1943 Kreuscher 16l97 10 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

JACK K. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

